11.
The next day had rolled around and some members of the track team were meeting in the parking lot so that they could go out for food together. It was a regular event for them but since Conan was new he had never been. There were nerves eating away at his stomach but he was determined to put more effort into socializing.

The fact that Owen was going had nothing to do with it at all. Obviously not.

He was standing with Owen, Cailey, Gavin and a few other people he didn't know. They were immersed in conversation as his eyes wandered the parking lot.

"I'm excited for our first competition this weekend," Gavin spoke, "not that it'll be much of a competition since we're up against Central. But still."

"Same. We should go out to celebrate our win after," one of the guys Conan didn't know said thoughtfully. "Preferably somewhere with weed."

Owen smacked the side of his head, making the boy yelp. "Your brain is small enough as it is, Keegan."

"But... weed..." He frowned, rubbing the spot Owen had hit him with a grimace.

"You act like smoking is a personality trait." Cailey rolled her eyes. "How can you be a runner and smoke? Your poor lungs are probably black by now."

They continued to bicker as Conan mindlessly looked around. They didn't know who they were waiting for since there were at least fifteen people there already.

"There you guys are!" Gavin cheered mid conversation.

Conan glanced back to see what he was talking about when he saw a few guys walking over. They were from the football team. He only knew that because he recognized a few from when he had to wait at practice, that and the fact that Duncan was with them in his new jersey.

The two made eye contact and their hearts dropped. Duncan didn't want anyone knowing they were related and Conan wanted nothing to do with him for multiple obvious reasons- especially in social situations because he was scared his brother might accidentally out him.

"You guys ready? I'm starving." One of the football players yawned, holding his car keys in his hand.

"Hell yes. What took so damn long?" Gavin went over to high five a few of them and Owen did the same, blatantly ignoring Duncan.

"Owen," Conan tugged on his sleeve, "I thought it was only the track team coming."

Owen looked down at his friend with a worried frown. "I didn't know they were coming." The hint of fear on Conan's face tugged at his heartstrings. "We can leave them and go do something else if you want."

"It's alright," he lied. He didn't want to ruin the day for everyone else.

Owen went to protest but was interrupted by the guys shoving them all towards their cars.

"You want to ride with me?" He settled for instead. "You guys can come too if you want," he spoke to Cailey and Gavin.

"Yeah sure." Conan nodded, face heating up when Owen opened the passenger's side door for him.

"Ladies first," Owen joked innocently, oblivious to the deeper meaning beneath the statement.

Conan's gut twisted inside his stomach as his dysphoria practically slapped him across the face. He forced a pained smile and got into the car, flinching when Owen shut it after him.

He didn't mean it. He doesn't know. He didn't mean it like that. He didn't.

"I'm pissed the football boys showed up," she grumbled, looking out the window while the boys got in.

"What's wrong with the football team?" Gavin pouted, not bothering to buckle his seat.

"They're a bunch of asshats, that's what." Cailey snorted. "Minus Owen. I don't know you well enough to make an assessment of you yet."

Gavin gasped dramatically. "I am not an asshat! If anything Owen is!"

"Why am I being dragged into this?" Owen complained as the car skidded out of the parking lot.

"You literally ditched me at Sophie's party after I fucking invited you."

"You were boring me," Owen snickered. It was a lie since he only went to see Conan, but he wouldn't be telling anyone that. "So I found somebody better to hang out with."

Conan would've been thrilled to hear that but he was still stuck on the 'ladies first' comment. It was an accident, a completely innocent accident that still hurt like a bitch.

"Who's better than me?" Gavin scoffed, "I'm your best goddamn friend."

"Actually," Cailey sing-songed, "I think Conan's stealing your place."

He sighed. "First Tara, now Conan. I can't catch a damn break! Next you guys will start dating and pretend I don't exist again."

"Funny." Owen coughed awkwardly.

Conan glanced down when his phone buzzed. Cailey texted him.

Cailey: Owen is so in love with you.

Conan: Here we go again.

Cailey: Did you not see his reaction when Gavin joked about you two dating?

Conan: You're reading into it too much.

Cailey: Men.

"Thank god you and that little bitch broke up." Gavin groaned, "I can't stand that psycho."

"I second that. Don't you, Conan?" Cailey asked in an innocent voice.

Conan blushed, "I don't really know her that well."

"You don't have to know her to know she's insane." Gavin rolled his window down to rest his chin on the rim of it.

Owen automatically rolled the window back up, making Gavin jump back with a small scream when his head almost got squished. He wanted to change the conversation, he didn't want to talk nor think about Tara. Especially not around Conan who looked extremely uncomfortable.

"What the fuck, you ass!" Gavin slapped Owen's shoulder from behind him.

"I'm driving!" he shouted back. "Do you want us to crash?"

He shrugged. "A little."

"This is why I'm a lesbian." Cailey rolled her eyes. "Look. We're here."

Owen pulled into the restaurant parking area. It was a little place that a lot of kids from school went to hang out. The sports teams usually celebrated their wins there but also went once in a while just for fun. Owen had been the one to initiate this time because he wanted Conan to get to know the other members, though he didn't tell Conan that. He knew the boy wasn't the best at socializing and wanted to give him a small push.

"Pizza here I come!" Gavin rubbed his hands together excitedly, mouth drooling like a dog.

By the time the four of them were inside the rest of their teammates were there. Everyone was seated in the same room around two huge tables since there were too many to fit at one. The restaurant had a rustic kind of feel to it and it was packed full of people.

Conan shuffled after Owen to sit next to him since he didn't really know anyone other than Cailey who sat on his other side.

He settled in his seat, unfolding his napkin before peeking around. He wanted to know where Duncan was so he knew where to avoid. So when his eyes met Duncan's that were right across from him, he felt lightheaded.

"Hey man," Gavin greeted Duncan and sat next to him. "I didn't know you were coming!"

They started talking like they had been best friends for years which made Conan beyond confused. He hadn't really considered the fact that his brother must've been making friends.

Duncan was kind of like the Owen Wilson of their old school. No wonder he'd been making friends and talking to new people. It'd be weird if he wasn't.

The two of them hadn't talked since the day Duncan called him a tranny. He showed up back home after being gone for days. He told their parents the story and made amends but Conan wasn't interested in the story. They began to coexist in the same house without sharing any interactions other than the car rides to and from school that were silent.

"Are you alright?" Owen whispered to Conan worriedly, nudging his thigh under the table.

"Yeah, it's nothing," he replied but refrained from looking into Owen's eyes swarming with emotion.

Owen didn't know how to help the boy and it was the only thing he wanted to do at the moment. Their meal went by with everyone talking, eating, laughing, enjoying themselves, but Conan did not. He continued to sit there quietly and push the food on his plate around.

"So, are you new this year?" Keegan asked Duncan with a mouth full of pasta. "I've never seen you around before."

"Yeah. I'm from Texas," he said proudly, smiling at the thought of his old school. He loved it there.

"Why'd you move?" Gavin questioned as he took a sip of his sprite.

Duncan wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Change of scenery," he fibbed with a shrug.

"Didn't you move from Texas too, Conan?" Cailey murmured.

"Uh, yeah." Conan refused to meet Duncan's gaze so he kept it down on his food instead.

"That's a weird coincidence." Keegan nibbled on his chicken wing, slathering sauce all over his face like a baby. "Hold up, are you related? You look awfully alike."

Duncan's face hardened. He wanted to deny it but that would only raise more suspicion. They were twins for fuck's sake, their resemblance was obvious.

"Yeah," he grumbled with a scowl.

"What?" Gavin's eyebrows raised through the roof. "You have a twin and I didn't know?"

"It's not like it was a secret." Duncan bit the inside of his cheek.

"I remember asking you if you had siblings and you said no."

Duncan gritted his teeth in response.

"That didn't happen."

He scoffed. "Uh, yes it did."

They began to argue and the longer they talked, the more ashamed Conan felt. It was apparent that Duncan didn't want people knowing they were brothers and everyone around the table could tell. The atmosphere was tense as Duncan denied his blatant lie.

"Are you sure you don't want to leave?" Owen's big hand covered Conan's knee as he leaned down so no one else could hear them.

"It's fine," he stuttered, swallowing the sadness down his throat.

It was humiliating. His own brother didn't want people knowing they were related.

"Just shut up!" Owen shouted at Duncan all of a sudden who paused mid-sentence.

Owen inhaled sharply at his unintentional outburst, knowing it wasn't going to end well. Duncan's nostrils flared in anger. "Excuse me?"

Well... there's no going back now.

"Are you deaf? I told you to shut the hell up!"

Duncan stood up abruptly with his fists pushed down on the table. "You asking for a fight?"

Owen stood up, glaring right back. "If that's what it takes for you to learn your damn place, then yes."

"You've been getting on my last damn nerve, Wilson," Duncan spat, straightening his back to appear taller, but Owen had a good three inches on him.

"Me?" Owen spluttered. "You're the dick that's been acting all high and mighty since the second you got to this school. I don't know what Texas was like, but here?" He rounded the table to get closer to Duncan.

They both stared each other down, faces inches apart. Everyone watched with wide eyes as they shook with anger.

"Here, you're nothing," Owen hissed.

Duncan surprised him by punching him in the jaw, making Owen's footing falter so he knocked into the table. The dishes clattered together and Cailey's drink spilled onto her lap, drenching her pants. Everyone gasped in unison at the sight. It was silent as they watched Owen slowly turn back to look at Duncan.

And he looked pissed.